Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 371 p
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 0670061050
Annabel is a 17 year old girl with a lot of secrets. She doesn't see them as secrets, she just doesn't want to risk telling the truth and hurting someone's feelings. So she tells little white lies to make people feel better and supresses her own feelings. Until she meets Owen. Owen is brutally honest--because he has to be. If he's not honest he has anger problems and winds up punching people in the face. Being honest allows him to control his anger. They strike up a friendship and eventually a romance and help each other be better people.
I'm really not doing the plot any justice with that summary, but I'm somewhat tired and sick and groggy. I love Sarah Dessen, I always have. This one is no exception. It felt somewhat different from her previous stories-in a good way. I was dismayed at all the tiny editing problems--little words that were missing like "a" or "to"--but that's the editor's fault not really the author's. I devoured the book in 2 days and am ashamed to admit that I ignored my son during snack time so I could read it and wound up with crackers on the floor. But I just couldn't stop reading. Like the other Dessen books there's more than just a romance, there are family issues and friendship issues as well.
I'd recommend it to Dessen fans as well as junior and senior high girls. I think it might be a bit much for middle school kids.
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